For the Nights I Can't Remember
by TLX
Summary: Luna finds out that secrets rarely stay hidden for long. Written for the Valentine Exchange of The Teacher's Lounge, for Arpad Hrunta. Written by Intervigilium.


**I**

**_"Head and hands need a mediator."_**

Luna Lovegood woke up, stretching and blinking slowly as she turned her attention to the window.

"Good morning," she smiled. A small white bird that constantly hovered around the building chirped back, wings flapping before it took flight.

Taking that as a sign to get up, she contemplated choices of tea to start a relaxing Saturday. _Relaxing_, as it turned out, was something of a small miracle these days for Luna, given her growing responsibility for The Quibbler and her efforts in putting the finishing touches on her small flat. She took her time showering slowly and choosing comfortable clothes, wondering what to do next. It was a cloudy day, but the clouds were her favorite shade.

_Neville! I haven't seen him in a while; he must be working today_, she thought, unlocking the door with her wand while grabbing the house keys. As much as magic offered certain amenities, she enjoyed simple pleasures of Muggle life. Locking her own door when coming back home was, perhaps surprisingly, one of them.

It was only after she turned around that she noticed something different about the corridor. Luna stared at the wall, unable to decide how to react.

_How in the world did __**this**__ get here?_

After a minute or so, she hid her growing smile behind a hand, shaking her head. It couldn't be; _there was no way he could possibly remember that!_

But what other explanation was left?

"What is so amusing, _ma chère_?" Mrs. Le Singe, Luna's next-door neighbor, had just appeared from the lift. Having traded words only a couple of times with the young blonde, the older woman were inclined to like her, _but, oh, those earrings she uses …_

Luna turned, blinking. Her neighbor was right at her side, but didn't seem to understand why the girl was so interested in the wall …

_… because she can't see it_, Luna realized. _Muggles can't see it._

"Oh, nothing, nothing … I just remembered a good friend of mine."

"A charming lad, I hope?"

Luna smiled a peaceful smile. "More than he realizes."

"Even better." The neighbor winked and patted her gently on the shoulder, resuming the path to her own apartment. "Have a great day, darling."

"You too, Mrs. Le Singe." Luna heard the locks clicking and stared back at the wall; the poster once more drawing her attention.

It was, for all intents and purposes, a common poster. Invisible to Muggles, it seemed, but a movie advertiser nonetheless. An almost exact duplicate of Fritz Lang's _Metropolis_ poster (one of her father's favorites, and a movie she still revisited from time to time), except that, where the movie name should be, the same font was used to write "Nelson's Column."

_Nelson's Column?_

It was only a second for her to decide. Her curiosity teased, Luna stepped inside the lift with a huge smile on her face and pressed a button while spinning on her heels.

She disappeared before the doors closed.

**II**

**_"Yeah. I know that. You know that. Nobody else knows that."_**

Luna put her hand on the wall for support (apparition was not her favorite method of transportation) as soon as she found ground again. Diagon Alley seemed like a smart choice; she wasn't familiar with many back alleys in London to make her travel shorter (and Muggle-safe, for that matter), but it was close enough. Five minutes later, she exited the Leaky Cauldron, looking left and right to remember her path, satisfied as she hadn't been since _Loser's Lurgy_ grew to be an actual Quidditch term (_they don't see it as a proper illness yet, but it's a start)._

_A Saturday's never lost when there's mystery_, she thought, speeding her pace.

It didn't take long for Luna to find herself surrounded by Trafalgar Square; her boots softly touched small pools of water here and there from the earlier rain. She made her way, looking for the monument the poster implied as a meeting spot.

Only the closer she got to it, the larger her grin became, until she had to suppress a full giggle.

_Another?_

Tourists and local citizens walked, sat on the steps, moved about the square … and no one seemed to notice that one of the bronze lions had a movie poster hanging from its mane, held by a rope around it. The mild wind, Luna noticed, didn't move it at all.

The girl stood right in front of it, admiring the work and, again, shaking her head in admiration.

_So he does remember,_ she mumbled, memories dancing inside her head.

This time it was _Weekend at Bernie's_, a movie she still considered a must-have for people with even the slightest hint of comedy in their hearts. But, as before, the poster had modifications. For starters, Andrew McCarthy's easy smile was hers, and she stood on the right of the picture; the likely author of this 'charade' stood to the left, replacing Jonathan Silverman. And none other than Nymphadora Tonks, in a very accurate position (although more alive and significantly drunker), was sure to gain a round of applause from Terry Kiser himself.

The title above them read:

_Weekend at Weasley's:_

_She's the life of the party. Well, she IS, look at her!_

Luna's eyes lit fondly with the memory. It was Charlie's and Tonks' wedding, one of many amazing memories they were rewarded with after the war was over. Luna, as well as many others of those present, had a full album of pictures from that night …

_"Oi! The two of you! Get over here and dance with me! I am the bride, and I command you," _Tonks had yelled just before that particular photo was taken …

_Look at her_, said the poster_._ _Look at __**her**__._

A couple of tourists watched the beautiful blonde girl admiring every detail of the lion statue, and kept on following her steps as she happily sped away.

"Running like she's going to meet the love of her life."

"He must have a beard. Did you see how she kept on staring at the mane? That's a woman's brain for you."

"Oh, shut up, Finn!"

**III**

**_"Who is she?"_**

**_"Who is who?"_**

**_"The girl. Who is the girl?"_**

Her stomach started complaining. Luna had meant to search for Neville and possibly grab a bite with him later, but her plans had changed earlier that day.

_ Perhaps they don't have to change that much._

Curious as she was about this 'movie run', Luna realized this was something planned without a specific timeframe. She could have found both posters at any time of the day, which meant that Tonks – if she was, indeed, a part of this puzzle – would have her part of the riddle available at any moment. And she did miss Neville, which only contributed to her decision.

Stopping once more at the Leaky Cauldron, she chose a corner table, summoned the memory of her parents dancing while she peeked from the stairs, and whispered her hare Patronus into existence. Its bright light caught the eye of some people, but the whispers were of quiet admiration. These were different times they lived in.

Luna brushed the spectral animal's fur before telling it to deliver two messages. The little creature jumped off the table, sliding between people's legs (causing a little girl with her parents to squeal with happiness) and leaving a silvery trail behind as it disappeared into a wall, entering Diagon Alley. She smiled at the waitress and ordered a hefty meal. If all went according to plan, she shouldn't have to eat alone. As her hare returned with both answers, she knew she wouldn't.

"Luna!"

It took just a few minutes for Neville to appear, waving; his was the first message the Patronus delivered. He donned the uniform of an Auror recruit, which only increased the attention he earned; Neville was a war hero, one of Hogwarts' champions, and a Gryffindor through and through. Much like Harry before him, the other child of July's end was now a face very few people from the magical world wouldn't be able to recognize.

Being as polite as he could – and disguising some of the shyness that, although lessened, was still his trademark – Neville finally made it to Luna's table, hugging her.

"It's so good to see you," he said before taking a seat.

"Likewise, Auror Longbottom," she said solemnly, completely serious, crossing her arms.

"No," he laughed, "I won't have any of that, not from you. It's still training, all training."

"I know; and I hope that _you_ know how proud of you I am."

"Finally gave up on the '_you should do something about that gift you have with plants' _speech, I see."

"Not at all. Reverse psychology may bring better results," she quipped. "That's rubbish, you know; I'd be proud of anything you set your mind to do, Neville. Plus, extensive knowledge of plants may be useful when you are on the field."

Their conversation flowed easily; maybe Neville didn't _truly_ understand her, but as far as the people she could call her friends went, he was closer to that than most. As soon as he understood that whatever feelings he claimed he had for Luna were merely residual 'war-goggles' out of the hardships they'd been through together, being around him was easier.

"So what brings you to the Alley, anyway?"

"A scavenger hunt, it seems," she answered cheerfully.

"A **what**, now?"

"Well, technically it didn't bring me _here_ (she pointed at the table) but I wanted to invite you for lunch anyway, so here we are."

"Focus, Luna. Did you say _a scavenger hunt_?"

"I did. And I said that on purpose to see your reaction, so I can safely conclude you're not a part of it, now." She didn't really expect _him_ to ask Neville for help, but it was always worth investigating; Luna liked solving a mystery before its actual reveal. _Well, who didn't?_

"A p-part of it?"

"Focus, Neville. Bacon's loose," she added giggling, pointing at the food sliding off his fork.

Half a second too late, Neville saw the precious piece of bacon landing back on his plate.

Luna explained what she felt she could; her 'quest' still felt private – there was **some** dedication into the posters to make it so – and she still needed to see the next pieces of the puzzle. She was _positive_, from her previous clues, that there was more to come.

_Time to go meet the life of the party._

Tonks, according to her earlier response, was at home and more than willing to receive visits, it seemed.

"You would think," she started, leading Luna into her flat after a very enthusiastic greeting, "that catching more deranged Death Eaters on the loose would merit medals, not being suspended."

Luna just nodded; Tonks' methods of apprehending suspects tended to collide with those considered S.O.P. for Aurors from time to time. Hey, as long as the bad guys were down on the floor, did it _really_ matter if they were holding their precious bits for dear life (and air)?

_Matters to them, I suppose,_ Luna thought, sitting. "The flat looks lovely, Tonks."

"You're too kind. Charlie completely lost hope in keeping anything here because there's no _Accio_ that'll summon his belongings from under my mess," she said, laughing.

"How is he, by the way?"

"Oh, just fine. I do wish he'd spend more time in England, but he loves it there, so I'm not pushing. He loves me more; eventually he'll transfer," she winked. "We visit as much as we can."

"Good for you! Romania has fascinating magical places to visit …"

To Tonks' credit, she _tried _to look ashamed. "Yeah, well, there's only so much time for sightseeing when all you really want is to get under the sheets with your husband."

Luna didn't even blink. "Perfectly reasonable."

Tonks laughed; Luna adored her laughter. "And _you_, gorgeous, got here just in time!" She headed for the kitchen. "A friend of mine – well, actually of ours - left me the most thoughtful gift for a lady on temporary leave . Sadly, he was too busy to enjoy it with me, but since I'm only meeting Charlie tomorrow and you voluntarily knocked on my door, it's a clear sign that you must savor it beforehand."

"Well, signs must _not_ be ignored." _I can always 'interrogate' her later_, Luna pondered. She enjoyed Tonks' company too much to spoil the Auror's fun.

"That's my girl."

"So what are we having?" Luna asked, following Tonks to a small counter. She wasn't particularly hungry after meeting Neville.

Tonks turned to face her, happily displaying a small case like a child whose Christmas arrived earlier.

_Of course._

"Custom jelly shot cups! They have pick-up lines on them, look!"

Luna took a closer look, turning a full cup on her fingers.

**_Is this Flitwick's class?_**

**_No?_**

**_How come you're so charming, then?_**

"Really, Tonks?" and she couldn't help laughing again.

"Bottoms up, Miss Lovegood! Wait until we get to the really dirty ones …"

_Several__ shots later …_

"We need to find you a nice lad, Luna."

"No, we don't," Luna chuckled. Inebriated Tonks was always entertaining, so she allowed the rambling. Asking her about the posters seemed almost too easy, now.

"A lady, perhaps? That's okay, too. Hey, if I wasn't married …"

"Tonks," Luna warned.

The Auror raised the last cup to her eyes, saying the lines aloud.

**_Enchanté. I look human, but am, in fact, a goblin._**

**_May I stroke your vault?_**

"Tonks!" and smile grew to full laughter.

"Hey, whatever tickles your fancy, babe." The Metamorphmagus sighed, going from giggly to thoughtful in a snap. "What happened with that Neville bloke, anyway? He was such a keeper."

"He never played Quidditch, Tonks." _Okay, maybe I had one too many of these myself. _"And there was never anything there."

"Meaning there was something … somewhere ... someone … else?" the other girl asked slowly, eyes nearly shut in concentration while she still screwed up her word order.

"I'll be working on it. Satisfied?"

Eyes grew wide and child-like and Tonks' smile was back. "Very. Details, please."

But before any explanation could come, her eyes aimed over Luna's shoulder, to the right.

"What?" the blonde asked.

"That's odd. I don't remember putting **that** there. Actually, don't remember buying it or getting it from anyone."

Luna followed Tonks' half-foggy, half-inquisitive stare to the wall near the door. There now stood a large poster, filled with colorful lines and dancing people.

_Let the sun shine in, butterfly._

_Hair._

Luna stared and stared. _Well, I'm positive that wasn't there when I got in. But how?_

Her eyes searched back for the cup she still held in her hand, one of those hilarious and barely useful lines around it. She wasn't really listening to Tonks' mumblings over her newfound piece of decoration.

"Sure, it's a good movie, and I get the whole _"Ha-Ha, Tonks likes to change her hair all the time"_ joke, but …"

_Something in the drinks that allowed us to see it, perhaps?_

In all honesty, the details, the 'hows' and the 'whens' could wait. Delighted as she was to find another piece of the puzzle, Luna's expression grew stern. _Butterfly_. There was no doubt now. She knew who the mystery author of this 'hunt' was. Very few people in the world knew that word's meaning to Luna, and fewer still knew her favorite movies. She knew, even lightheaded from the drinking, where to find the next clue right away.

"Erm… Luna?"

"Hm?"

She now noticed Tonks was watching her worried. "Is everything alright? 's just a poster, y'know. Not even one of my favorite movies."

"It's one of mine, actually."

"Oh." Tonks looked like she was afraid she'd hit a nerve. Which was partially true, but definitely not something she should worry about.

"Nothing to it, honey," she winked with lightness. "It just reminded me I promised Dad I'd go see him today."

Tonks blinked, but shrugged a second later. "He does have fabulous hair for a man his age," she reasoned. "Tell him I said that. Coming from a woman that can have whatever hair style she wishes, that's quite the compliment, I tell you."

Luna had to smile again. She loved Tonks.

**IV**

**"Thought is real. Physical is the illusion. Ironic, huh?"**

Luna Lovegood stared in the distance, still a bit dizzy from apparating again.

_Got close enough, considering all those shots._

The mild breeze helped her, soothing the numbness. _Not much to go, now._ It wasn't the usual time of the day she'd choose to be where she was. She preferred dawn.

Luna had not seen this coming. It wasn't an unwelcome twist to her quest, just one she hadn't anticipated. Her steps muffled in soft grass, she reached a small cliff just in time to see the sun on its way down. Nearly sunset.

"Hey, Mum."

Luna sat down, arms around her legs so they were close to her chest, just like she always did when she visited her mother's grave.

The girl had never been particular about dates when it came to visiting this spot: her dad was meticulous on that matter; she _couldn't_ be. The decision of the grave's location itself had been based on freedom, on her mother's love for a beautiful, random landscape.

"Where you can see things connecting perfectly without even trying hard, my little butterfly," she used to tell Luna.

"I should have brought flowers," she said, eyes contemplating the setting sun. "But I only forgot them because I was sort of in a hurry. Well, you know that I was."

She scanned her surroundings, watching the last roses she had planted close by. "See? Those are growing nicely. Consider them a free pass; I'll remember next time."

"Everything's good. Dad's behaving well lately; I suspect you have a finger on that. He lets me make more decisions. He's not so fussy as he was … well, he had the right to be back then." She paused. "He just misses you a lot."

_WE miss you a lot, Mum._

The thought crossed her mind when the last rays of light were lining the horizon. Darkness took a while to settle in, and the wind was invigorating. It always was when a tear threatened to escape her eyes. _She listens._

The wind brought something else. Luna smelled them before she saw them; a small bundle of sweet-scented flowers appeared, attached to what looked like a rolled-up poster tied to a small rock for weight.

_Disillusionment Charm? _ She had never heard of a 'timed' version of the spell. _Clever._

"I take it you had another visit today, Mum." She reached for the fragile flowers. _Cestrum nocturnum_, the "Queen of the Night."

She could almost hear Mrs. Lovegood. _"He brought flowers to your mother. Smart boy."_

"Smarter than I thought."

_ "Easy on the eyes, too."_

"A lot of women would agree."

_"He cares for __**you**__." _And Luna didn't know how much of that was her mother's voice and how much was just wishful thinking on her end.

_"Only one way to find out, my butterfly."_

The world stood frozen for a few minutes. This time, Luna allowed the stubborn tear a path down her cheek. "Thanks, Mum."

She grabbed the poster and slowly pulled it open before her, being careful not to rip it. A man in a wizard's cape was slowly walking away from a landscape much like the one she now stood in.

The man that had been on her thoughts the entire day.

_The End Is Only The Beginning …_

_ What Dreams May Come_. Luna suppressed a grin as much as she could. The man finally stopped, picking a photograph from his pocket and holding it so that Luna could see. Much like in the movie, it was a painting.

But a painting of an actual place. A place she knew well.

_"Tell me all about it later, baby?"_

"Always, Mum."

She gave her mother her private smile, brushed the tear away, gathered her poster but left the flowers there.

Two seconds later she was back at London.

**V**

Luna opened the restaurant door, as gently as she could, given the rush she felt. She scanned the tables, even though there was no need. Only one table was occupied, and only one person stood there.

He smiled at the sight of her. Windswept, catching her breath, the smile slow and shy across her face. A deep satisfaction was there, too. Luna loved her puzzles.

Each step she got closer was a pound in his chest. _Breathe. No point in doing all this and stuttering at the end, mate._ He tried leaving his chair to greet her but Luna sat too fast for him.

Neither spoke immediately. Whatever staff the restaurant had was apparently on vacation; it was just them.

The moment of truth.

"Where do I begin?" she shook her head, still amazed.

"Anywhere you'd like, I suppose," he conceded, calm and far more collected than he felt.

"I have a lot of questions."

"I expected that."

"Tonks, then."

"Tonks?"

"The one at my corridor, the other at Trafalgar, one with my mother. I'm sure it took some planning to put them there and then some interesting bit of spells to conceal them to all but me …"

"I happen to know a really smart witch. And I'm not _that_ slow either," he chuckled.

"Clearly." Luna smiled. She liked him with his walls a bit down, like this. "But Tonks could see the one at her flat."

"When I decided to use our picture as a mock-up poster …"

"Clever, that was."

"… thanks." He smiled back. "Well, when I decided to use it, I figured I could use Tonks' help. But not _directly_; she couldn't keep something like this a secret even if she tried with all her will."

"No, she couldn't. So?"

"So I wanted to link the poster to her directly, so that you would find it. Once I heard that she was on leave, it became easier; just had to plant the poster at her flat. But not immediately; if you saw it right away, you'd probably be out the door before you could explain her why you wanted to see her in the first place. So I enchanted the poster, and only people who drank from those cups I bought her could see it. Once that was done, you wouldn't need to question her about events she didn't even know she was participating."

"So getting me drunk was a part of the plan?" she teased.

"Getting you to spend some time with a friend was," he said, relaxing on his seat. "Did I count on her offering you the shots? Yes."

"That was _barely_ a gamble."

"No gamble at all, actually," he laughed, agreeing.

"But how did you place it there without her noticing?"

"I was there earlier this morning looking for a book she borrowed from me."

"Convenient. I assume you did this once you realized I was already chasing the first ones. Did you spy on me for a while?"

He looked guilty. "I had to know if you were at least _interested_ in solving the riddle."

"**That** was a gamble."

"Still is," he murmured. A soft hand squeezed his, but he didn't dare look up just yet.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

He breathed a sigh of relief, and she retrieved her hand. "So you were at her apartment," she said, wanting him to continue.

"Yeah, well, by the time she was back from examining the bookshelf she keeps in her bedroom, the poster was in place and she was more than pleased to see jello shot cups waiting for her. Too soon for us to drink, though. Pity."

"Pity, indeed."

A small pause. They shared nervous smiles, looking away. Luna remembered the last time she had been there; rather, the last time _they_ had been there.

"I never thought you would remember that night, Harry."

Harry Potter ran a hand along the back of his head, nervous as he hadn't felt in years. "Seamus' parties after the war tended to be a bit extreme. That was the only one I attended."

"Me too."

"I didn't remember it all … at first. For some reason even potions against hangovers didn't seem to help. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Another pause. Luna lifted her eyes, and the shy smile was back. "You found out about the memory charm."

"It took a while. But we wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't."

"True." She played with her own delicate fingers. "I don't have any excuses, Harry. I just didn't want you to worry." She smiled. You always worry so much."

The silence was deafening this time.

"You wanted to leave the party. I didn't want to leave you alone."

"No. No, you didn't."

"You said you were still hungry so we entered the first place we saw open," said Harry, looking around. "This very table."

Luna didn't say anything this time.

"You told me about your mother and how she used to call you "her butterfly." We discussed your favorite movies for some reason, and you told me I should start watching some, so I would find out for myself what I liked or disliked. _That it was important to see the world with my own eyes_."

Luna was still very silent.

"I don't think you were ever as open with me as you were that night."

"So were you," she gave him a small grin. "You were dozing off; I wasn't sure you remembered anything I was saying or anything that you were telling me. It was just so … _good_ … to be here. No pressures, no expectations. To see you actually **smiling**, Harry."

"So why did I wake up alone in a hotel room with no recollection of a night we both enjoyed?"

"I didn't know where you were staying back then."

"The hotel's not what I'm interested in."

"Harry."

"Don't, Luna." This time his hand was on hers. "You can ask all the questions you like about what happened today. But just tell me why you erased that night of my mind?"

"It didn't have to mean anything." The words came like wounds out of her mouth.

Harry inched his body forward. "I kissed you."

"You were drunk."

"You kissed me back."

"I wasn't perfectly sane, either."

"Well, I sure hope you're perfectly sane now, then."

"What do you … ?"

Before any other words were spoken, he kissed her. Not rushed, not sloppy. Sweet, careful and passionate. _Like first kisses should always be._

Their lips parted too soon, but Harry didn't move away immediately.

"Now you know," he whispered. Luna opened her eyes to meet his.

"_Now I know_?"

"The answer to the question you wanted to ask me when you entered this restaurant and didn't. _Why._"

"Harry …"

"I don't know what this is," he interrupted her. "I won't pretend I understand the first thing about a relationship or caring for someone like a normal person, and I won't dare presuming you want something like that with me. But the minute I remembered what happened, I wanted you to know that it wasn't a mistake. Not to me. You never will be."

He got back to his seat, never breaking eye contact. "I just wanted you to know that even if it _didn't have_ to mean something; that maybe _it did_."

Luna stood there, speechless, for the longest time. There was so much she wanted to happen, or not to happen. Of all the things she expected to listen once she found Harry, this speech was definitely not one of them. _A welcome surprise, I'll admit._ But something was still off. Some detail, something she was considering the second she saw his face.

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." He lowered his eyes. "I just didn't want to leave things the way they were. I couldn't stand to look at you lately unless I fixed things."

A finger touched his chin lightly, pulling his face up. Luna kept those big – and now sparkling – eyes locked in Harry's.

She remembered now. The_ something missing_. "One more question, then."

"You're entitled to it."

"If you remember that entire night, there should be one more poster for me to see before I found you."

Harry gave her a smile. "Well, that's up to you, really."

"How so?"

"The poster is made. But much like with everything else in life, you have a choice here. You can ask for it now. I'll give it to you; you can collect the others and explain to Tonks whatever version of the truth you choose about it. And you can keep them or not and tonight will be just about tonight. About fixing something that needed to be fixed."

"And the alternative?"

"You let me keep the poster for now. And I'll give it to you when the time is right."

Luna couldn't help laughing. "Elaborate, Harry."

"You told me I should start seeing the world with my own eyes. I would like the opportunity of seeing you next to me while I'm doing it. And maybe, just maybe, a little ways down the road we'll be able to look at this poster and see something different. Not better, not worse. Just different. Same movie …"

"… just another perspective."

They searched each other's eyes and lips, faces closer and closer.

"So what do you say, Miss Lovegood?"

Luna eyed him questioningly. Then, leaning closer, she gave him a quick peck, followed by a much more lingering kiss.

"I think the poster's safe with you, for now."

"Just for now works," he said, holding her hands in his. "Just for now works."


End file.
